Somebody's Jewel
by Lura Vila
Summary: They always tell you to be careful what you wish for. All Sayu Yagami wants is for someone to save her from the life she's living. Why should she be careful about wanting that? Sequel to Nobody's Tool *On Haitus*
1. Stupid Girl

Disclaimer: I do not own _Death Note_ or its characters.

**Stupid Girl**

The glare from numerous monitor screens lit up the darkened room, providing as the small area's only light source for the moment. The image of a restrained girl was shown on one of the small, florescent panels. Although it would be easy to lose such a sight with so many other images displayed, this one stood out to the blonde teenage boy watching the bound girl on the small monitor screen. He could not help but be entranced by the young woman's appearance; however, he was unsure why.

She was no doubt beautiful, but it was ordinary beauty. Not the kind that stands out like the women on magazine covers. No, hers was the type to get lost in a crowd of other ordinary people. A face that would be easily forgotten. So why was it he could not pull himself away? Maybe it was the innocence she contained in her chocolate eyes. Innocence he could never remember having. Innocence that was lost when mother left him on the steps of chapel in Italy when he was barely four.

"Pretty, ain't she, Mello?" another's voice interrupted the blonde's thoughts. His eyes quickly darted to the entrance of the monitor room.

The man's figure was shadowed by the light from the various screens, but Mello could still make him out to be one of Rod's underlings. Though the teen knew of the lackey, his name was not fresh on the boy's mind so he just answered with a nod.

"Why not try hittin' that before the exchange?" the man asked as he crossed his arms and leaned against the doorway. "It's not like she'd put up much of a fight."

"True, but then she would lose value," Mello replied. After noticing the man's confusion, he decided to elaborate. "It's like buying fruit. You wouldn't want bruised apples, now would you?" Maybe a man of a child's intelligence could understand that.

It took a moment for his inferior to understand what Mello was saying but it finally clicked in the brute's head. "I guess not."

"Exactly, which is why there are strict orders not to touch her," Mello explained. In truth, the blonde didn't want to be responsible for the rape of an innocent girl. That would put closer to being like the rest of the evil men here; something that disgusted him to no ends.

Though he worked along side of them and helped them, Mello only viewed them as tools to get what wanted. Sure he killed a few men to get here, but those men were beyond innocent. Is that what not L did? Used the guilty to get closer to his goals and make up for it later. Sometimes there was a bigger picture to be seen. A bigger wrong to be righted. That was the way Mello saw it. He would repent for his sins after he had won. Maybe then he would truly feel the guilt he lacked right now.

"Still, I've never seen you so attracted to a woman before. Are you sure you don't want to fuck her?" the man asked again.

"Sure I'd like to. Maybe if she wasn't needed for the trade, I'd keep her as my own personal sex slave for awhile. However, it's either her or the notebook, and we can't afford for anything to go wrong," Mello said humorously. He was not about to tell this man the truth of how he was beyond sinking to such levels to get women. How he viewed such acts as disgusting and disgraceful. That would make him seem somewhat weak like a moral fool.

"Okay. I'm the one doing the exchange so you have nothing to worry about."

It finally hit Mello who this man was. He was the one Rod planned to kill after exchange took place. He could not help but smirk as the man continued to talk. His constant badgering had been annoying, and Mello would not mind seeing him go. The man had always been a nuisance to the blonde so getting rid of him would not be so terrible. After all, Mello secretly hated every one of these men.

"Are you going to miss her? I mean, you've been staring at the monitors since she arrived."

Miss her? Mello could not help but be appalled at the man's question. How could he miss her? He did not even know her. He knew things about her, but he never met her. Sure, he was attracted to her, but that was not uncommon for a boy his age. It was like missing a stranger. Impossible.

"You can't miss what you've never had," was Mello's response. He knew better than to think there could ever be anything between them. That would be living in dream, and he knew all too well that dreams never came true. He may be sad to see her go but glad to have her out of his mind. Hopefully, she would be gone soon and out of his life for good. "Stupid girl," he mumbled under his breath which drew the lower class man's attention.

"What?"

"Nothing. Just talking to myself. That's all." Mello replied then continued to watch the bound girl like before. The fool at the door soon departed, sensing he was no longer wanted company. However, there was a certain glint in his eye that the blonde had missed as the man exited.

"Maybe you'll get what you want after all, Mello," the man muttered as he left. His words were completely unheard by the blonde watching the monitors. He was too far gone in his own thoughts to hear the few words that may have saved the brunette girl on the other side of the screen from certain despair in her future.

Instead, Mello was too busy wondering how disturbed he must look staring intently at this foreign girl. Yet, at the same time, he could care less. _'What's wrong with me?'_ he asked himself, knowing he would never get the answer he was looking for. Only the insane answer their own questions; then again, he wasn't exactly sane. "Stupid girl," he mumbled again though he knew she could not hear him. He knew too much, and that may have been his problem.

Mello soon got up from the chair he sat in and left the room. He needed to take a break from his little obsession of the moment. She would be gone soon, and he wouldn't have to worry about her anymore.


	2. Stolen

Disclaimer: I do not own _Death Note_ or any of its characters.

Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to update, but college has kept me busy. I also want to apologize for the poorly written story _The Oddity of Some People_. I had to write it because everyone knows that Light wouldn't have let Misa live. I remembered a rule of the Death Note that stated that children under the age of 2 (I think it was 2) could not be killed by the Death Note, and since killing Misa would result in the death of her unborn child the Death Note wouldn't be affective because of another well known rule. However, I'm not sure if the Death Note could affect the unborn or not, but it was the only way I could keep Misa alive. If it can affect the unborn, then I apologize for my mistake.

**Stolen**

This was not what he had planned. He had never intended for anyone to get killed, at least not like this. If everything went how he wanted, which it had, then there would be no reason for unnecessary deaths. Yet, the unnecessary happened. Soichiro Yagami was dead via a gunshot wound to the head. The trade had gone horribly wrong.

"Now you can have the girl too, Mello," the masked gunman said through the transmitter.

'_Was that what this is about? The fucking girl?'_ the blonde asked angrily to himself. How stupid was this idiot to have risked blowing this flawless operation? Mello had planned out the details and proceeded with them without error. He even tugged on Soichiro's heart by telling the masked man to kill Sayu in front of her father when the chief was having doubts about the trade. Mello made sure Soichiro could hear him give the orders because Mello knew that no honorable father like Soichiro would let his daughter die a preventable death. Now this dolt ruins the entire thing.

Mello could not voice his rage at the man in earshot of the surrounding men. Doing so would risk the situation more. No. Mello had to keep himself calm. He only smirked to himself. He muted the transmitter so the gunman could not hear.

"Rod."

"Yes, Mello?"

"Don't kill him just yet," Mello told the buff, older man next to him. "By taking unnecessary action, he has insulted me as well a compromised the trade. I want to be the one who ends his life. Let me kill him."

* * *

Mello was not sure how he accomplished such a difficult task, but he was somehow able to get the fool who about ruined his chances of obtaining the notebook and Sayu Yagami to the base without being found out. The blonde prodigy could not fathom why one of his men would risk something so important on a girl. Then again, he was not worth Rod keeping him alive as he was supposed to die in the copter. Mello would be the first to admit that Soichiro Yagami's daughter was attractive; however, nothing was worth the risk of beating Near. Mello wanted the man to die a painful death for his bold but stupid move. He wanted the dolt to beg for death, and the man did. He pleaded to die.

Sayu, Mello decided, was worth keeping alive at the moment. He would just give her back when the opportunity presented itself. As of now, she would have to deal with being locked in his basement quarters. If the youth claimed her as his, then the others would not harm her. Of course, Mello had no intention of actually raping her. He was much too proud to stoop to that level of scum. Besides, he already had someone to take out those desires on. Though, she was in New York at the moment.

Mello entered through the door of the underground chambers and prison of Sayu Yagami. If she was to stay his captive, then he would have to provide her with the essential food and water.

The sound of the door opening and closing caught Sayu's attention. She did not move and stayed huddled in the corner of the room furthest away from the door. She only looked up to acknowledge the boy who had come in. It was always him. Her eyes darted to the paper bag he held in his right hand. Food no doubt. He had brought a jug of water earlier so she knew that this must have been her dinner.

It did not take him a second to see her hunched over in the corner. It was where she had been the last time he had come down to bring her water. He walked slowly over to her and set the bag down in front of her then walked away to sit on the bed in the middle of the cramped room.

"I didn't know what you liked so I just got you the typical burger and fries," Mello told her in monotone. He was not sure how else to say it or what else he should say. He had not meant for this to happen. He did not have a problem with killing in general, but he did not want someone to die if death could be avoided.

Sayu glanced up at him then down at the bag. She was not sure if she should grab it just yet or if she should wait until he left. Going with the former decision rather than the latter, the brunette grabbed the bag opened it up.

"Thank you," she whispered as she took out the burger. She was not really hungry. Infact, it was quite the opposite. She was sick to her stomach and had been after watching her father's murder. Still, she thought it would be rude to not eat it. "You didn't poison it, did you?"

"I already have imprisoned. Why the hell would I waste my time poisoning you? If I wanted you dead, then I'd shoot you. So what would be the point in poison?" Mello asked her in an irritated tone but went silent when she started to shrink back in fear. An awkward silence was all he could come up with at the moment as he sat on the bed and watched her eat her food.

Sayu continued to eat her food but felt quite uncomfortable with the blonde male watching her. She could not muster up the courage to tell him so, though. Instead, she just did what he did and stayed quiet.

Mello got up to leave when she was through. He did not know why he stayed with her through her meal, but he figured it may have been due to curiosity. He stopped when he reached the door then turned around just enough to see her. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry," he told her before exiting the room. Though he did not say it in the warm way it was meant to be said in, Mello was sincere in his apology.

Sayu just curled back up. Her legs to her chest and her head on her knees with her arms wrapped around them to keep her safe. The blonde boy may not have been the kindest person, but she could see some good in his tainted blue eyes. Those semi-warm thoughts left her mind when her nerves returned with an upset stomach.


	3. Numb

Disclaimer: I do not own _Death Note_ or any of its characters.

Author's Note: If you haven't figured it out from the last chapter, this story will contain some Hal/Mello but will work its way into Sayu/Mello.

Another Note: I have added scene at the end of the chapter. I would have waited and put it in the next chapter but I thought it would work better in this chapter. The next chapter comes more from Sayu's perspective, and I really didn't want to include Light all that much in _her_ chapter.

**Numb**

Mello was not an evil person. He was not good, but he was not bad either. Mello was much more complex than black and white. If anything, Mello had more grey in him than a storm-filled sky; a mixture of the two extremes with one more visible than the other.

His heart had always been good, but his unstable mind buried all that was his conscience under a pile of despair. His mother's fault no doubt. She did abandon him when he was barely four.

"_He doesn't want me because of you. You're nothing but a failed plan. I don't want you anymore, and he can't have you. If he won't have me, then he can't have you either."_

Mello had remembered the last words his mother spoke to him before she left. He was not sure how a small child of that age could have such a vivid memory, but he did. Then again, trauma never really did go away. He remembered the cold rain pouring down, leaving him drenched and shivering. He remembered tears staining his face as he pleaded with his mother not to leave. He remembered being obedient and staying on the steps where his mother had left him and how he waited for her to change her mind and come back for him.

She never did. If not for those nuns who found him, he would have possibly died of hypothermia. Mello was certain of that.

Unlike his mother, Mello had no recollection of his father. If he did, then he was unaware it was his father. Maybe the _he_ his mother had mentioned was his father. Even so, his father obviously did not want him very bad or else he would have tried harder to find his son.

Mello did not care anymore. He left those hopes of "what if" behind when he quit being Mihael Keehl and became second in line to succeed L. Success at Whammy's had been the drug to drown the pain of his past in because success gave him something to want for and desire.

Whammy's nourished his unstable mentality, covering up his gentle core until it could no longer be seen unless one truly tried to find it. Though Mello was talented in many aspects of life with intellect that seemed to almost never run out, the fact still remained that Mello was mentally unstable.

His attire best represented his inner being. The black leather he wore was less than inviting to those who saw him, making him appear to be this immoral teen among other things. However, the rosary around his neck could be small sign of the morality he possessed with the cross hanging just under his heart.

The only item Mello kept from his life as Mihael Keehl was in remembrance of the nuns who had cared for him before he had been sent to Whammy's. They had given it to him as gift in hopes that he would find happiness and no longer feel despair.

Perhaps that is why he still believed in God. If the nuns found happiness in their faith and remained kind in horrible times, then maybe he too could find this sense of peace from believing. Near had criticized his belief in something that remained unseen and called the older boy "blind", but Mello would ignore his rival's comments and remain a believer.

Mello was still ruled by the drug that nurtured the madness of his mind and was living a sinner's life without repent. There was a part of him that did not care anymore and let the high of one day becoming number one cloud his heart's judgment as well numb the guilt of his criminal acts.

By fostering Mello's mind and intellect, Whammy's helped furnish the evil inside of Mello his mother had left within the boy.

* * *

It had been almost week since Soichiro Yagami's death, and his daughter was still mute. She did not cry or sob or anything that might have been expected; Then again, what was expected?

Mello could not help but ponder this as he stepped into his basement room. The twinges of guilt that had sometimes pulled at his conscience for a split second had eventually vanished over the short time of the week. He numbed the guilt with thoughts of beating Near like he always had when he had done something horrible.

Still he felt slightly sympathetic when his eyes found the girl curled up into the small form curled up in the same corner of the room she had seemed to make her own. Though he no longer felt the blame his conscience had tried to point at him, Mello had not yet rid himself of the pity he felt for the girl or was it empathy he felt?

No. Her father could not take her back home, where as his mother could have came back for him. Her father tried to save her from this fate, while his mother damned him to his. Mello hated to admit it, even to himself, but Soichiro Yagami was a good man. He did not deserve the death he was given; however, Mello knew all too well that life was cruel, and it was best just to let go of regret.

"I brought you some food," Mello told her with no emotion. He could not let himself care. It would be dangerous for the both of them if he showed weakness to her. He even made sure to keep his expression towards her cold.

Sayu looked up the boy who had cared for her over the past week. Her look of apathy matched his. She could no longer allow herself feel anything. Not after watching her father die. She'd wanted kill herself so be free of the pain, but she didn't have the nerve to do it. Becoming numb was her only option.

Mello stepped closer to her with the bag of food in his hand and set in front of her then walked back to the bed to sit down and watch her. It had been the same routine of the past week. He would bring her food then sit and wait until she was finished. They never spoke. She would eat in silence, and he would watch her. He might speak to her sometimes, but only after she was finished.

"Why am I here?" Sayu asked the angelic looking boy. She never looked up at him as she spoke. Her eyes remained fixed on the food she had yet to touch.

Her voice took him by surprise, but he did not let it show. He was unsure himself why she was here. Maybe it had something to do with his messed up morals.

_Avoid killing innocents if unnecessary. _

"It's complicated," Mello replied in a tone that matched hers: cold and unfeeling.

"I'm never going home, am I?" the glum brunette asked, showing just the slightest hint of sadness this time.

"Once I have achieved my goal, you will be free to go," Mello told in honesty. Once he had defeated Kira and beat Near, he would no longer need the Mafia and would probably dispense of them when the chance presented itself to him.

Rod and his men were pawns in Mello's scheme of things and that was all. They were evil men whom Mello only used to gain an advantage in this game he and Near played.

Sayu was just baggage that had just happened to get dealt a bad hand of cards. Mello would return her once the game was over, but it was too risky for him to try to let her go at the moment. If his sources were correct, then someone on the Task Force was Kira, and Mello could not take the chance of Kira using Sayu's knowledge of her captor's face to the serial killer's advantage.

* * *

After three days of mourning the loss of Soichiro Yagami, Matsuda and Mogi were sent to England on a tip received from N. They had hoped to find out information on Mello but were disappointed when the tip had lead them to a dead end with only sketches of the top to students to show for their work.

Matsuda sighed as he walked through the streets of London because Winchester did not have the earliest flight back to Japan. Mogi had been anxious to return home while Matsuda was unsure of what he would do once he was home.

Soichiro had been like a father to him over the years and for someone to kill him just seemed outrageous to the lower ranking cop. Matsuda was outraged as was everyone else, but his anger went further. He wanted Mello to pay for what he had caused. He wanted the young prodigy to die the most horrible death imaginable to make up for the horrible deed that he had been at fault for.

Matsuda also felt worry for Sayu. Her body had not been found like her father's had. She was gone. A part of Matsuda felt hopeful that she may be alive. Another part him hoped she was dead as well so she would not have to suffer at the hands of the Mafia. He knew if she was alive that they were probably torturing her in ways that he did not want to think of. He had to keep his mind clear of those kinds of thoughts.

Right now their mission was to find a cheap but clean hotel to stay at until their flight left tomorrow morning. What a job that had turned out to be. If it was not seedy, then it was too expensive for one night stay. The two decided it would be better for them to split up and search for one.

Matsuda's mind started to wander further back to the past when Misa died, and he wondered if he should fill Mogi in on his suspicions. Mogi had been close to the model and had developed some feelings for her as well, but Matsuda was not sure if now was the best time to be suspicious of Light. He had just lost his father. Still, Matsuda could not get the nagging feeling out of his head.

"Mister, you dropped this," said a small, cheerful voice from behind him.

Matsuda turned around and looked down to find a little girl holding up a pen at him. He raised an eyebrow in confusion then shook his head.

"No. I do not believe it is mine," he told her, hoping he sounded all right. His English was not terrible, but it was not great either. He then looked behind her to see if her parents were close behind. She looked much too young to be by herself.

He did a closer inspection of her. Her long black hair was held up into a pink bow that matched the dress she wore. Her bright eyes and cheerful appearance made him feel like he knew her. She seemed almost familiar, but there was something about her that gave her an eerie look, almost weird.

"Where are your parents?" Matsuda asked the small child.

"In the ground," she replied creepily with a smile to match.

Her response gave the young cop chills. How could a child say something like that and not feel saddened?

"Pearl!" a feminine voice called out from the distance.

Matsuda and the small girl turned towards the owner: a woman looking somewhat similar to the girl but not very. She didn't possess the creepy look of the child and her eyes were not as bright and her black hair was shorter.

Holding onto her hand was a young boy who appeared to be the same age as the girl. Unlike the woman, he shared the little girl's bright eyes and unnatural aura. However, he did not look as cheerful as the girl and instead held a look of indifference. His black his was kept short and tidy and his clothes were just as formal as the girl's.

"Yes, Auntie?" the girl said then ran to the woman's side.

"What have I told you about running off? You had me worried. Onyx is catching a cold, and running off like that only prolonged our time out in this weather," the woman told the little girl as they left.

Matsuda's eyes widened as the realization hit as he still continued to watch the group leave.

* * *

The week following his father's death went by all too quickly for Light, He still was at a loss of just what to do about the current situation. The notebook was gone, and time was not going to stand still as he thought up a plan to get it back.

Light could only hope that Matsuda and Mogi would bring back useful information. Of course, just how he could use that knowledge would be limited.

Since Misa's suicide, Light no longer had the convenience of having someone close to kill for him. No. He had resorted to giving Misa's Death Note to one of his most loyal followers but did so in a way that did not arouse suspicion. The man did not know him, and Light only knew the man through television interviews supporting Kira.

Light's only connection to the man, Teru Mikami, was through an old flame, Kiyomi Takada. It was a stroke of luck that Light's protégé had selected his former girlfriend as the spokesperson for Kira. Light was grateful for that.

Light had even suggested to the rest of Task Force to pretend to date Takada for the purpose of the Kira Investigation. After all, he and Kiyomi did have a history. The only snag was that his meetings with her be listened in on, but he quickly overcame that obstacle by adopting the schoolgirl habit of passing notes. It was a simple action, but it worked nonetheless.

He knew it was almost time to arrange another meeting with Takada if only to help him figure out a course of action.

* * *

Author's Note: I decided to make the children resemble Misa since L is too much a unique character to copy. I made up for L's resemblance by giving them a creepy look to them. So what did you think? I would like to hear your opinion.


	4. Instinct

Disclaimer: I do not own _Death Note_ or any of its characters.

Author's Note: Sorry for taking so long to update. I've had a busy summer. By the way, I just want to say one thing. Mello is not Italian in this fic. He is part German on his dad's side. I'm not sure what his mom's nationality is yet, but it will be later explained why he was found in Italy later in the story.

**Instinct**

Sayu was not stupid. She was average. Her older brother's brilliant mind made her seem below average in intelligence, but she was not. She was a typical college student trying to figure out her place in society.

However, that did not stop people from comparing her to Light. From middle school through high school, every one of her teachers compared Sayu to her genius brother. She hated it, but she could not bring herself to hate Light. Light was her big brother, and he would always be a hero in her eyes. She looked up to him. It was not his fault that he was extremely smart or that she was just an ordinary girl. No. Sayu would never blame him for any of her problems. She could not bring herself to do so. She adored him too much.

Her parents were not as bad as her teachers. Sayu and her mother shared a close bond, and she was a bit of a 'daddy's girl'. Soichiro was always protective her, but Sayu knew that they expected her to be like Light. Her mother and father never said it out loud, but she could see the disappointment when they viewed her report cards. They did not mean for it to show. It still hurt, none the less.

Sayu was not special. She was ordinary, and she blamed no one for it because there was no use in dwelling on horrible thoughts. It would only cause her to become as bitter as coffee. Besides, sweet hope was a better taste than bitter misery.

Sayu hoped for something that contrasted her plain looks and boring life. She wished for the most beautiful boy in the world to come and save her from the boredom of today. She wanted him to bring and fill her life with enough excitement to last until she had grown old. Most of all, she wanted the hero of her dreams to see her as anything but ordinary.

She would have never expected to miss her less than exciting life.

More weeks had gone by since her father's death or what she perceived as weeks. Sayu really did not know or care. At this stage in her grief, she was not entirely in touch with reality.

Infact, she was almost completely in a haze of treasured memories from her past. It was the only thing her mind had left to offer as a defense mechanism for dealing with the trauma, and Sayu took it happily. Anything to keep her from having to deal with the present.

The angelic boy's visits had become less frequent as time went by and did not last as long, but Sayu was too far gone to care. His purpose was to bring her food, and she had felt too nauseous to eat anything. He had no reason to visit her anymore. No one else came down to where she was being held.

Without anyone snapping her back to reality, it left her more time to be lost in her euphoric dreams. Not that the angel ever did stir her from her mind's trance, but she was less aware of her surroundings when he was not with her.

_Everything will be okay._

* * *

_BOOM!_

Sayu was awakened almost entirely from blissful daze when loud noises erupted from above her. She raised her head up curiously to look towards the ceiling unsure just what was going on. Had a fight broken out? She did not know.

Soon the sound of gunshots could be heard without difficulty. This only made her suspect her guess was accurate. Then again, what else could the disturbance be? A little more time went by before the loudest of the blasts made the underground room shake.

Sayu's hands impulsively flew up to cover her head to better protect her from whatever was to come. Small bits of ceiling debris fell from the impact causing Sayu huddle even more together than she already was.

"Everything will be all right," Sayu repeated to herself over and over as she rocked herself back and forth.

Finally, silence had come, and she felt a bit at ease. Her breathing slowed for moment only to stop when the cellar door of her room opened loudly then quickly shut as the divine looking boy fell to the floor. He lay on his stomach with both hands under him then he rolled a little on his right side.

The boy grunted pain after he hit, but further examination by Sayu revealed that it was more than just the fall that caused him pain. The left side of his face was badly burned, and by the way he held his chest, Sayu could only assume it was burned as well.

His groans horrified the kidnapped girl in the corner. She was at a loss of what to do. Should she run? Her heart was in pieces, and her mind was not in the best state. Her instinct was all that remained intact. Her broken heart wanted die, and her numb mental state did not care if she lived or died. However, her instinct was in complete power and would not let her die, and it told her that this boy was the key to her survival.

Sayu slowly crawled over to the boy and turned him over on his back. Pain had overcome him and had caused him to lose consciousness. She quickly tore off the shiny leather vest he wore. By its liquid appearance, she believed it to be one of the many sources of his discomfort. The left side of his upper body was just a badly burned as his face which made her wonder even more what had happened to him.

His burned flesh was melting off his body like wax from a lit candle. It took everything Sayu had left in her not to panic, but almost everything in her was shattered into dust causing panic to set in.

"Please be okay," she kept telling him as she cradled his head. What should she do? What could she do? There was not a vast amount of supplies around her.

Sayu had almost given up all hope of what to do when the cell phone clutched tightly in the blonde's left hand caught her eye. Maybe this was her ticket out of here and she wouldn't have to save him. All thoughts of escaping were soon foiled when the cellar door opened again.

"Mello?"


	5. Purity

Disclaimer: I do not own _Death Note_ or any of its characters.

**Purity**

The smell of cigarette smoke was thick in the small apartment. Sayu sat huddled up on a tattered couch. The redheaded boy who had brought her and the angelic mobster to this dingy home was currently in the flat's only bedroom tending to the blonde's injuries.

From the time boy with goggles arrived at the blown up base to the time of their arrival here was complete blur. As soon as he had seen how badly burned his friend was, the redhead immediately rushed them to his car. Sayu was just as frantic in helping move her captor. From what the oddly dressed boy called the other, Sayu figured out the blonde's name was Mello. She hadn't had time to ask for the other's name. They had both been trying to help Mello.

Now, Sayu wondered why she had helped at all. Why did she not escape when given the opportunity? She was sure the nameless redhead did not have any weapons on him. Even if he did, he was too caught up in saving Mello to really notice her trying to escape. Then again, where would she have run?

Her thoughts were soon interrupted by the sound of the bedroom opening and closing. Sayu turned her attention to Mello's oddly dressed friend or who she assumed was his friend as he stepped out from the small hallway.

"I think he's going to be all right," the redhead told before taking a cigarette out of his vest's pocket and lighting it up. "I'm Matt by the way."

"Sayu," she responded almost in a whisper. She had barely spoken since she had been kidnapped, and a whisper was all she could manage at the moment.

Matt studied the girl closely. She looked terribly filthy, and he was starting to notice she did not smell too dandy either. Had Mello not let her keep clean or something?

"When was the last time you bathed?" he asked her after taking a puff of his cigarette. He really needed the nicotine at the moment after the night's events.

"I'm not sure," Sayu replied truthfully. She did not know how to keep up with how many days had gone by from a basement room, and she really had not cared much either. She knew that she had to look as dirty and grimy as she felt.

"Well, I can't let such a beautiful girl be denied a hot shower, can I?" he said with a grin then motioned for her to stand up and follow him. He did not miss the way she tensed up and knew immediately what was running through her mind. "I'm not going to try anything. I promise."

Although she did not completely trust the redhead, Sayu got up from her place on the couch and followed him to the bathroom.

"I don't have any girly products so I hope a bar of soap and some cheap shampoo will be okay," Matt told as he opened the door to the bathroom.

Sayu nodded in response. At this point, she could care less about what brand of shampoo he had as long as it was shampoo.

"I'm also short on women's clothing, but you can wear some of my clothing until tomorrow. I'm going to have to go out anyways to get some medicinal supplies anyways. I can get you a few things then, if want," he said with a smile. Even if he was worried out of his mind about his best friend, Matt did not want to cause any more stress to the quiet girl.

"You don't have to," Sayu told him before walking into the small bathroom. She did not want him to have to spend his money on her even if she was not entirely sure of his motives.

"It's all right. I insist. As you can see, I don't live the most extravagant lifestyle so I usually have money left over. I save it just in case of an emergency. Kind of like this one. Besides, I'd be honored to buy a beautiful girl some clothes.

Sayu blushed and diverted her eyes to the floor. "Thank you."

"It's no problem. I'll bring you some clothes when you're done. Towels are in the cabinet with the washcloths," the redhead told her before closing the door to allow the girl her privacy.

As soon as the door was entirely shut, Matt let his happy façade disappear then took another drag. _'Mello, what the hell did you do to this poor girl?'_ he wondered to himself. Matt only hoped that his friend did not do what he thought he did. _'Surely, Mello has more class than that. Then again, it's been so long since I've seen him. Who knows just what kind of person he's become.'_

* * *

The warm water relaxed Sayu as it poured out in droplets on her skin. This was the closest to thing to pleasure she had come by since she was taken from her family. She let the sensation of bliss take over her. A girl could never guess how much a shower could do for her.

'_Is it wrong for me to let myself feel good here? Especially from the people who killed Dad?'_ she thought as she scrubbed shampoo into her hair. _'No. Matt didn't kill Dad. Matt had nothing to do with Dad's murder. It's not his fault.'_

A sudden wave of guilt rushed over Sayu as she thought more of who was to blame. _'It's not Matt's fault at all. It's mine,' _she told herself rinsing the suds from her head. _'If it wasn't for me, Dad would still be alive. I'm to blame. Just me.'_

Tears started to fall from the young brunette's eyes. She was so angry with herself and felt so filthy. Sayu outstretched her hands to look at them closely. They were stained with her father's blood. Her whole being was. _'I have to get clean.'_

Sayu grabbed the bar of soap and lathered up the washcloth with before scrubbing her body violently with it. The skin on her left arm started to peel from being scrubbed too hard and the rest of her soon followed suite. She needed to rid herself of the dirt she felt was on her body. She needed to cleanse herself of the blood on her hands. Most of, Sayu needed to forget all the terrible memories. She needed to be purified of everything bad.

* * *

When Sayu was through with her shower, she opened the ever so slightly to call for Matt. Her eyes peeked down to see he had left her a change of clothes the floor in front of the bathroom's door, and she reached her hands out to grab them.

After changing into the clean clothing, the dark haired girl stepped out into the hallway then went to find Matt. Maybe he was in the sitting room of the apartment. If not, then she would wait for him there. No need in looking any further for him. She would not bother him if he was tending to Mello.

Sayu walked down the short hallway to find Matt in the grungy recliner of the living room. From what she could tell, he was too into the video game he was playing on his handheld to really notice her entrance.

"Thank you," she said not knowing what else to say to get his attention.

"You found the clothes I left you?" Matt asked as he raised his head up from his game. His eyes widened, and a blush soon crept on his face when he saw her in his clothes. _'Who knew a t-shirt with some dumb saying on it and a pair of black boxers could look so hot?'_

Sayu nodded her head in response. She had only talked when necessary since her father's murder.

'_Still mute, I see. What the hell did Mello do to her?'_ he wondered to himself. She had barely spoken to him since he had known her. In fact, she had barely spoken at all.

"You can sit down if you want," Matt told her. He was trying his hardest to make her feel comfortable, but it was not going over very well.

Again, a simple nod was Sayu's only reply. She walked over to the couch and curled up on it. There was no denying how tired she truly was.

"Can I ask you something? You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but I'm just kind of worried. Did Mello, _you know_?" Matt asked her. He was too afraid to say the actual word.

Sayu shook her head. "No. He didn't do anything to me except kidnap me and keep me alive. But no, he nor any of his men did anything like _that_ to me."

"Why would he want to kidnap you for?"

Sayu shrugged unsure of what to say. She did not know why she had been kidnapped or why that man killed her father. It was a subject she never got an answer to.

"Were you threat to him in any way?"

"I don't know. I don't think I was. When my father came to get me, it kind of looked like a trade, but then a man killed him so I'm not sure why I was still being kept," Sayu replied.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Matt told her feeling guilty for bringing up bad memories. "Listen. If you want, I'll let you go. You can go back to your family or wherever he took you from. I'll even give you some money; however, you can't tell anyone about what you know, understand?"

Matt was sure Mello would not be too happy about this, but the redhead did not want to cause the girl anymore harm. There was really no point in keeping her, and had she not been through enough?

Sayu was flooded with a thousand thoughts and emotions. She could go home. She would be free. She could see her mom and brother and be surrounded by people who loved her.

Then again, how long would her freedom last? Her mother would not let her stray too far. She would probably be monitored closely.

Then there was the fact that she would have to remember her father's death everyday because people, no matter how good their intentions were, would keep reminding her of it. Her mother would be depressed over Soichiro's death, and the cops would be pressing her for details of her kidnapping.

Sayu did not want any of that. She just wanted to forget. She wanted to forget everything without forgetting her father. Maybe if she stayed, she could achieve that goal.

"Can I just stay here? Please, just let me stay here," Sayu asked him. She did not mean to beg or sound so desperate, but she was not ready to go home just yet. Home would only sadden her more.

Matt nodded his head. "I can't say no to such a pretty face," he said with a grin.

Sayu blushed at his comment and, for the first time since being kidnapped, smiled. "Thank you."

Seeing her smile caused the redhead to blush as well. "Well, I, uh… I guess I had better get you a blanket to sleep with," Matt told her, abruptly getting up from the recliner. "You can have the couch. I'll sleep in the chair. Better yet, I'll make a pallet in the bedroom. I have a feeling Mello might need me to check on him," he said then left the room to fetch a pillow and blanket for her.

'_I think I need a shower now!'_

* * *

The ambush had been a success just as he planned, but Mello had eluded them. Light scowled at the thought of young prodigy escaping, but he knew he was lucky to have gotten where he did.

After his father's corpse was found, Near had given Task Force a lead: Mello liked chocolate. In order to find his base, look for one receiving large amounts of chocolate. Upon hearing this, Light easily eliminated all possible places where the notebook could be, and only one base fit. Pulling off an ambush would be difficult.

Light had two people working under him as Kira: his old girl friend, Kiyomi Takada and man by the name of Teru Mikami. Mikami would act as Kira, and Kiyomi would be Kira's voice.

However, there was a price to pay. Light had to give up ownership of Misa's notebook to allow Mikami to act as Kira. The only problem would be coming up with good strategy. Light quickly thought of something.

Kira would send Task Force a message containing information on when to strike. Task Force would follow the directions, and the notebook would be theirs.

The plan had worked but not without kinks. A Shinigami had attached itself to the notebook and had taken back when the owner was killed in the raid.

'_At least, it won't fall into the wrong hands,'_ Light mused to himself. There was no need in having an unknown Shinigami become a nuisance to his plan for the world.

Soon Light's thoughts wandered to Sayu. Her body had never been found when they had located Soichiro so that led Light to question whether or not they had killed her or not. If she was alive, then he figured that she probably suffering. That left him to question whether or not to kill her himself. He still had Rem's notebook, after all.

However, Light could not bring himself to do it. Deep down hidden in his being was the big brother he used to be.

* * *

The next day came too soon for Sayu. Last night had been the best sleep she had had in awhile and she was not quite ready to wake up. Her eyes fluttered opened to the sound of bags being carried in through the front door.

"I see you're finally up," a voice called out from the door.

Sayu scooted up a little to see where all the commotion had come from. To her surprise, Matt was standing in the doorway with a different assortment of bags. It looked like he had just gotten back from a mall trip.

"What time is it?" Sayu asked with a yawn. She stretched her arms as she did so.

"Almost lunch, but I didn't want to wake you up too early. Figured you'd need the rest," Matt told her, shutting the door behind him. He walked closer to the couch then set the bags in front of the brunette.

"I didn't know exactly what to get you so I just got a lot of pink. Girls like seem to like pink and you're a girl so you must like pink," Matt rambled on as he went through a few of the bags to show her some of the things he had gotten her.

"That _is_ a lot of pink," she thought aloud.

"I told you," the redhead grinned. "I hope you don't think I'm some perverted freak, but I also bought you some underwear because I'm sure you don't like boxers and I'm short on bras."

"That's fine, but how do you know what size I wear?" Sayu asked, raising an eyebrow.

"When I washed your dirty clothes, I decided to figure out what you sizes were. No need in buying a bunch of clothing that doesn't fit," Matt told then moved to the next bag.

'_Is it just me, or is he way too peppy right now?'_

* * *

Author's Note: I know this is supposed to be a Mello/Sayu fic, but I couldn't resist putting a few Matt/Sayu moments. Mello would probably kick his ass if he found out this. I know Sayu seems to be acting kind of illogical in this, she's not exactly in her right mind and I wanted that to show. I apologize for the lameness of the scene with Light. I had a difficult time figuring out how to write it. Anyways, I've thought about rewriting _Nobody's Tool _and make it a little better. I don't know, I think I can improve it some.

P.S. If you can't tell, Matt's had a little too much coffee there at the end.


End file.
